Paleo Pumpkin Seeded Bread

Paleo bread has this terrible reputation of tasting like cardboard and being the opposite of fluffy. Rest assured, I have found the perfect wheat, gluten, refined sugar, and dairy free bread! AND it has the fluffy texture of a standard loaf! It's great fresh out of the oven and even 3 months later out of the freezer - what is this miracle you ask? Well, its my pumpkin seeded bread.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/4 cup almond flour

• 5 eggs

• 1/3 cup coconut oil (room temperature) or extra virgin olive oil

• 1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoons of salt (I use Maldon)

• 1 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper

• 1 teaspoon of oregano

• 1 teaspoon of thyme

• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin

• 3 tablespoons of pureed pumpkin

• 1 teaspoon of baking soda

• 1/4 cup of ground flaxseeds or chia seeds

• 1 handful of pumpkin seeds, divided (half for topping)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 155°C fan forced (175°C / 300°F) and line a standard loaf tin with baking paper and set aside. For higher rising bread, use an 8×4 pan. 

• In a bowl, whisk together your eggs before adding oil, apple cider vinegar, and pureed pumpkin.

• In a seperate, medium sized bowl combine almond flour, baking soda, chia or flaxseeds, spices, herbs, half the pumpkin seeds, salt and pepper. Give the dry ingredients a good whisk to ensure everything is well combined.

• Add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients and using a spatula fold everything together, before pouring into the loaf tin.

• Sprinkle the top of the batter with the remaining pumpkin seeds and cover with aluminium foil.

• Put in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, so that the bread can steam and rise (this ensures fluffiness). Then uncover and continue baking for another 20 minutes or a tester inserted to the centre of the loaf comes out clean.

• After 10 minutes, turn out loaf carefully onto a wire rack and allow to cool for a further 10 minutes before slicing. Serve and enjoy!

.

Notes:

• I like to serve mine toasted, with cream cheese, and fresh tomato. Please try it!

• Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months in the freezer, briefly re heat in the microwave and then toast for perfectly toasty bread.

• If you want to make this totally vegan, exchange the eggs for flaxseeds eggs. Make a puree of 3 tablespoons of flaxseeds and equal amount water and add to the mixture.